Truss for ruptures.



E. VOLKMER.

TRUSS FOR RUPTURES.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 29. 1910.

Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

. g M1 0: 1 35 L3 6.1101111 EDWARD VOLKMER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TRUSS FOR RUPTURES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 6,1912.

Application filed March 29, 1910. Serial No. 552,174.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD VoLKMnma citizen of the German Empire, residing in New York, in the borough of the Bronx,

county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trusses for Rupt-ures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved truss for ruptures which is intended to'be worn during the day and in which the pads can be accurately adjusted so as to hold the matured parts firmly and reliably in position.

The trusses heretofore in use are objectionable for the reason that the pads are liable to be shifted from their proper position over the ruptured parts by the motion of the body so as to prevent the gradual healing and curing of the rupture. Many trusses, especially those having steel supporting bands and fixed pads, are too rigid and cause pains to the wearer.

The object of this invention is to furnish a truss in which the pad-supporting band is bent into shape so as to fit the body and in which the pad or pads are secured at the exact point where they are required for supporting the ruptured parts; and for this purpose the invention consists of a truss for ruptures which comprises a supporting band formed of two stout parallel wires bent into shape so as to fit the body and passing across the point or points where the rupture is located and over the hip-bones and being connected at their rear-ends by means of a short strap. The pads are secured to the double-wire support by means of clamping devices, being spring-actuated and connected by a ball-and-socket joint with the shanks of the clamping devices.

The invention consists further of certain details of construction which will be fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective View of my improved truss shown as arranged for a double rupture, Fig. 2 is a detail vertical transverse section of one of the rear-pads on line 2, 2, Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section of one of the front-pads, on line 3, 3, Fig. 1, drawn on a larger scale, and Fig. 4 is a detail side-view of the strap by which the rear-ends of the double-wire support are connected at their rear-ends.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures.

Referring to the drawings, a, a are parallel wires of sufficient thickness and strength to support the front and rear-pads b, 6 One of the wires a is first bent into shape on the body, crossing the point where the rupture is located, and then passing over the hipbones and meeting at the back of the body. The second wire a is then bent so as to conform to the shape of the first wire. Both wires are then soldered together so as to form a non-flexible double wire-support. The front-pads b are then attached to the front-part of the doublewire support one at each side of the curved front-portion of the same and the rear-pads to the rear-ends of the support a, a by means of suitable clamping devices.

The clamping device for the rear-pads b is shown in detail in Fig. 2. It is formed of an oval sleeve d, which is placed over the rear-end of the double-wire support a, a and secured thereto by means of clamping-screws al The rear-pads b are made of hard rubber, or other suitable material, and screwed onto a short stud-screw d of the sleeve (Z. The sleeve cl is provided with a button (Z over, which the button-hole e in the end. of a rawhide or other strap e is placed. The front-pad or pads b are preferably made of hard rubber and provided with a central socket in which a helical spring 8 is placed, one end of the spring bearing against one end of the socket b in the pad, while the opposite end bears against the end of a socket b in the shank b of the pad 6. The shank b is made with a ballshaped end 7) that fits into a corresponding enlargement b of the socket If. A plate 5 which. is attached by screws 6 to the inner straight face of the pad, holds the ballshaped end 6 of the shank in position in the spherical enlargement Z) and prevents the detaching of the pad from the ballshaped end of the shank. The spring 8 serves as a cushioning spring for the pad so as to hold it with uniform pressure over the rupture. The inner end of the spring 8 is connected with a square piece f that is seated in a square extension-recess f of the socket b and serves for preventing the pad from turning axially on the ball-joint of the shank. The outer end of the shank b is provided with a side-recess for the clamping-block g, the outer end of which is bent over the double-wire support a, a in the same manner as the end of the shank and firmly attached to the support by clamping screws 9 which pass through the clamping block and shank so as to hold the pad firmly in position on the double-wire support a, as shown clearly in Fig. 3.

The clamping pressure is exerted, as will be seen from the figures, across, or in the transverse plane of both wires, thereby tending to press the same together, whereby a strong and reliable connection is obtained, and particularly, the double-wire support is thereby strengthened in the direction of the clamping pressure, viz., in the direction of the transverse plane of both wires.

WVhen the front-pad or pads for single or double ruptures are adjusted and clamped in proper position to the double-wire support a, a, they will yield to the motions of the body, while still exerting a uniform pressure on the ruptured part or parts. As the shape of the double-wire support conforms to the body, the wearer of the truss can bend the body in any direction without bending the truss out of shape or shifting the pads from their proper position. The

uniform pressure of the pad on the rupture,

together with the fixed and non-shiftable position of the same, Will exert a healing influence on the rupture so as to gradually cure the same, or at least alleviate the pains produced by loose and badly fitting trussads. p Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a truss, the combination of a support formed of two similarly-bent parallel wires continuously soldered together, rear sleeves having openings receiving the support and carrying buttons, a strap connecting said buttons, pads on said sleeves, shanks at the front of the support having openings of oblong cross-section receiving the support, pads on said shanks, and means for clamping said shanks upon said support in the direction of the transverse plane of both wires of the same.

2. In a truss, the combination of a support formed of two similarly-bent parallel wires continuously soldered together, rear sleeves having openings of oblong cross-section receiving the support, and carrying buttons, a strap connecting said buttons, pads on said sleeves, shanks at the front of the support having openings of oblong cross-section receiving the support, pads on said shanks, means for clamping said rear sleeves upon said support in the direction of the transverse plane of both wires of the same, and means for clamping said shanks upon said support in the direction of the transverse plane of both wires of the same.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD VOLKMER.

Witnesses:

PAUL GOEPEL, FANNIE FIsK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0." 

